That Palooza Breakdown You’ve Been Waiting For…and What Comes Next

So I came back from Vegas last week and have found myself incredibly busy. So much so that I haven’t even been able to give the Palooza the loving memoir it so richly deserves.

Well, it’ll have to be short because I have to get back to work. 😉

The feedback on this thing was incredible. Virtually everyone I spoke to said it was the best event they’d ever attended from a content perspective. Grizzled vets of the industry–GCs of publicly-traded companies, and the like–said they were “shocked” by how much they learned and how valuable the presentations were.

So what was so unique?

Why was this conference so much better than other compliance conferences?

Well for one it was fun! And the production value was high. Rob Seaver and his crew brought the lights and the noise–rock music and a concert ambiance vibe–that permeated the event and elevated this thing from a conference to a show.

But almost more importantly–this was immersive.

When Daniel took the stage Thursday, it wasn’t for an hour. Not even two hours. It was for the entire day. And he worked–along with Glenn–through an entire exemplar CID with participants, explaining what regulators were really after in issuing the demands. He explained why CIDs are served and precisely what tips and tricks could be deployed in responding and getting to a close letter as quickly as possible. And–over the course of an entire day–he showed how best to respond with an expert’s prowess and drawing on a decade of experience.

You just don’t get that sort of treatment every day.

Then the keynotes took the stage. How often can you interact with and ask questions of some of the premier international crisis revolution teams? I mean these folks put together the governing coalition of Israel this year–and now they’re hanging out answering questions from the Palooza crowd.

Then the entertainment started. Well.. you saw the pics.

Day 2 was a rocket blast to the moon. Ericka spent 4 hours walking through data breach concerns–sharing the cutting edge techniques used by threat actors to ransom and destroy your business’ cyber infrastructure. She ought to know–she was a marine deployed in Kabul, Afghanistan supporting the US government’s cyberops before moving to the civilian sector–and she brought all of that experience to bear in a stunning tabletop exercise that left people’s jaws on the floor.

If you missed it, you missed it.

Then our special guest Jack Kingston took the stage. HOLY MACKEREL. That guy is a fantastic speaker. And flippin hilarious. I fell out of my chair at some point and I was not alone. And his message–critical for everyone in the industry to understand. I hear he made such a splash that he’s been invited to LeadsCon in October–and perhaps he’ll even make an appearance at Contact.io. Stay tuned…

Then eXp’s Ari Kasper–man is that guy BRILLIANT–joined Glenn (a former head of compliance for one of the most important data shop on the planet) to discuss CID responses from an in house perspective. These guys are just ridiculously sharp. People were staring at me shaking their heads in wide-eyed wonder as they spoke. I’m telling you, this entire thing was special.

Then Queenie and I took the stage to end the event. We talked Facebook and Florida to a depth I had never previously dove with any audience, ever. It was a 90 minute question and answer fest and nobody left disappointed. Queenie said a couple of things that really opened some eyes–I’m not sure when she became more insightful then her old mentor but, well, it has definitely happened.

After the event half the Caesar’s casino pits were filled with folks wearing TCPAWorld hats. All right, maybe not half. But there were plenty of “I already read about that…” swag floating through Vegas casinos as the event ended, a sight that brought a tear to the Czar’s eye.

It was a really special time. BIG deals got done–man, do I know some stuff. Connections were made. Friendships were sealed. And sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thanks to all of you who made it out and helped contribute.

We’ll be back next year with another round of the Palooza. It won’t be the same–you can never ever capture that special energy of an inaugural event–but it will still be awesome, I promise you that.

My next event is CBALive August 17, 2021 in Orlando. More on that and my full schedule will be up tomorrow.

Happy Thursday TCPAWorld!

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